The Press: Stations Starved

Since radio became the most vigorous advertising rival of the daily press, newspaper publishers have been torn between the feeling that printing radio news built up their competitors and the knowledge that their readers were interested in this news. Seven years ago, publishers decided never to print in news stories or program tables the names of commercial program sponsors or of products advertised. This prohibition prevented unimportant free publicity but had no effect on the competitive situation. Publishers gradually realized that what really hurt was printing publicity about radio stars, which helped to popularize them, thus inducing advertisers to spend more money on radio, less on papers.

Two months ago, major Southern California publishers decided to starve radio stations of all publicity except bare program listings. Last week the movement spread: in San Francisco and Oakland six papers* decided to follow suit temporarily —permanently if readers did not object. In Chicago, the Tribune, following earlier action by the News and American, discontinued its daily radio news column. Meantime, advertising agencies were working on a plan for listing sponsors or products in newspaper radio logs at specified advertising rates.

*Call-Bulletin, Chronicle, Examiner, News (San Francisco); Post-Enquirer, Tribune (Oakland).